Back to school: teachers' union satisfied that government has met its demands

The teachers’ inter-union coalition of the EPST (Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education) subsector met on Saturday, September 2, 2023, in Kinshasa to evaluate the recommendations resulting from the joint government-union commission’s deliberations, which were formulated at Mbuela Lodge last July. In a document summarizing the proceedings of this extraordinary general assembly, the EPST teachers’ inter-union coalition notes the government’s fulfillment of its commitments, particularly regarding the establishment of new units, salary adjustments, teacher bonuses, the standardization of operating costs for primary schools and administrative offices, the restructuring of primary schools, the readjustment of the free education allowance, and the payment of inspectors and support staff within the General Inspectorate. This body assures that the DRC government has done its part to ensure a peaceful start to the 2023-2024 school year across the entire national territory. The EPST inter-union coalition also condemns “the malice of certain payroll operators who are responsible for delays in teacher payments in several educational provinces,” as stated in the document. This situation creates difficulties and prevents teachers from fulfilling their socio-professional duties. To maintain lasting peace within the EPST, the inter-union coalition calls on the government to fulfill the remainder of its commitments according to the established timelines. As a reminder, it was on Monday, August 4, 2023, that all students returned to school. Deleine Diazolakana